There was a new pumpkin dessert at our Thanksgiving table, courtesy of this recipe from Paula Deen. I had some nutritional modifications in mind, but my sister didn’t think that Paula would approve of using applesauce in place of the oil so she kept to the original recipe.

The bars have a cakelike texture, and they were good but not extraordinary. The best part was definitely the cream cheese frosting – butter, sugar, and cream cheese are always a winning combination!

When someone asks you about which cake you’re craving from Smitten Kitchen, it’s really quite a gift! I chose this chocolate peanut butter cake, and my sister took on the challenge, with a little help from Mom. I mean, what do new mothers do all day but watch the Today show and bake? (Just kidding!)

My cooking club theme this month was “Fall Foods” so I tried this recipe for Pumpkin Swirl Brownies from Smitten Kitchen. I am really not an expert baker, but I figured I couldn’t go wrong with the combination of pumpkin and chocolate, right?

This is a seriously fun recipe to both make and eat, and you even get to use food coloring! The cupcake itself was a little dry; it may have been over baked by a minute or two. The frosting more than made up for this though, it was fantastic. Red Velvet cupcakes sound fancy, but they are really not that complicated – go ahead and impress people with a batch.

This recipe is especially for those who love to bake. It looks like something you would buy at a pastry shop. My grandmother used to make this, and my Mom was inspired to give it a try herself. Everyone was glad she did – it tastes light and airy, with just a hint of sweet from the glaze.

1 c. flour
1/2 c. butter
2 T water

Heat oven to 350F. Measure flour into bowl; cut in butter. Sprinkle with water, and mix with a fork. Shape dough into a ball, and divide into 4 pieces. Pat each piece into a 6″x3″ strip, and place 3″ apart on an ungreased cookie sheet.

1/2 c. butter
1 c. water
1 t almond extract
1 c. flour
3 eggs

Combine butter and water in a saucepan, and heat to boiling. Remove and stir in almond extract. Beat in flour quickly, stirring to avoid lumps. When smooth, add eggs, one at a time. Spread one fourth of the batter evenly over each dough strip. Bake for 60 minutes, and allow to cool.

1 1/2 c. powdered sugar
2 T butter
1 1/2 t vanilla
1-2 T water

Beat until smooth to make a simple powdered sugar glaze. Garnish with chopped walnuts if desired. Cut slices on an angle (not pictured.)

Mystery Gourmet requested a tiramisu recipe in the comments of this post, and here it is. My Mom did all the legwork here, including finding the perfect recipe that didn’t use too much alcohol, and getting all the ingredients. And what better occasion for tiramisu than a welcome home from the hospital party for my brand new nephew! I can’t claim to be a tiramisu expert, but I can tell you this tasted very good and my whole family enjoyed it. Thanks for the inspiration!

I had a chocolate craving and this did the trick. Who needs Swiss Miss when you can make your own hot cocoa so easily?

Happy 1st birthday blog! It’s definitely been a fun year. I always cooked a lot, but now I am constantly trying new things. The blog can only occupy a small space in my life right now, but it is a great outlet. Thank you for sharing it with me.

Now, most birthdays are celebrated with cake, but in the spirit of fall, here is a baked pear.

2 pears
1 c. white wine
1 T honey
1/2 t cinnamon

Slice bottom of pears to create a flat surface; place standing in a glass dish. Mix wine, honey, and cinnamon, and pour over pears. Bake at 400F for 1 hour, basting pears every 15 minutes.

I am so sorry that my family wasn’t here to enjoy this. You see, on Labor Day weekend, I set out to make this Lemon Chiffon Pudding, and something went terribly wrong. The avocados weren’t ripe enough I think, and it was all downhill from there in terms of texture. Good thing my sister had made some chocolate chip cookies as Plan B!

This recipe from Kalyn’s Kitchen is called Low Sugar Whole Wheat Zucchini Bread with Blueberries and Pecans. I shortened up the name to give center stage to the blueberries, which were purchased at their summer peak and frozen. I followed the recipe as written, using half sugar and half Splenda and substituting walnuts for pecans. It needed more time in the oven than indicated, which may have been due to a different pan size.

It was worth the wait though, and I think the sweet and juicy blueberries were the key.